The Road to Happily Ever After
by FriendvilleFan
Summary: Miss Samantha Parkington is madly in love with her old rival, Mr. Edward Ryland, yet is frantically trying to deny it. Lucky for her, the rest of her adopted family are willing to help. Will Samantha ever learn to move on and get over the fact that it's Eddie she's in love with? Or will she forever see the man she loves as the boy she despised? There's only one way to find out.


The Road

To Happily

Ever After

Is such a thing even possible for Samantha Parkington and Eddie Ryland?

By: Detective #52

Miss Samantha Parkington is madly in love with her old rival, Mr. Edward Ryland, yet she is frantically trying to deny it. Lucky for her, the rest of her Playroom family are willing to help. First Glogan made up a game show featuring her love triangle, then Madame Dolly hinted at her future, and now the Bitties are finally giving her a chance in the spotlight. There's only one catch and that is she has to share it with Eddie Ryland, the boy from her past who teased her to no end. And to make matters worse, Andrew, a western farmer from the present who somehow became her boyfriend, broke up with her right before the show starts. Will Samantha ever learn to move on and get over the fact that it's Eddie she's in love with? Or will she forever see the man she loves as the boy she despised? There's only one way to find out and it's on the road to happily ever after.

"Oh Samantha," Nellie breathed. "And he didn't even do it in person."

Samantha thought about how the last time she had seen Andrew she had been an angry, fire breathing dragon. "Can you blame him?"

"Are you going to be okay?" Nellie asked.

"I think so," said Samantha. "I feel more relieved than anything else. And besides, we all knew this was going to happen anyway."

"On the bright side," Nellie added. "Madame Dolly was wrong."

This earned a chuckle from Samantha.

"And now you're free to . . . you know, be with someone else," Nellie continued. "But he was your boyfriend."

"Maybe," Samantha said softly, "but I didn't love him."

They were interrupted by a harsh knock on the door and a gruff male voice that said, "Samantha open up! The show is about to start! You can't hide in there forever!"

Nellie opened the door and scolded, "Go away! Can't you see we're having a crisis here?"

Eddie Ryland pushed her aside but paused when he noticed the letter in Samantha's hands and the expression on her face. His frustration immediately turned to concern as he asked anxiously, "Who died? It's not Grandmary is it?"

"Not exactly," said Nellie, "Andr-"

Samantha elbowed her in the ribs. "Nobody died, but if you want to get technical about it, the year is 2014 so in this century Grandmary is most likely dead."

"Ah, the benefits of time travel," said Eddie. "Wait, if nobody died, then what's the crisis?"

Samantha and Nellie looked at each other. Nellie decided she'd better let Samantha take this one or else she'd risk the wrath of the dragon.

"Typical man," said Samantha. "Someone has to die for it to merit being a crisis."

"What?" said Eddie. "I never said-"

Samantha just smiled sweetly which only puzzled Eddie more. She took his arm with one hand, as ladies and gentlemen often do, and crumpled up Andrew's note with the other. She tossed it in the trash can as she whispered to Nellie, "I'll tell him later."

Nellie nodded but as soon as they were out of sight she reached her hand in the barrel and pulled out Andrew's letter.

Eddie knew there had to be something seriously wrong for Samantha to be acting like this. She seemed he was shocked to even think this, glad to be in his company. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You're not that good an actor, Sam. What's really the problem?"

For a split second, Samantha's expression clouded over. Then she recovered and was smiling brightly again. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

He scowled at her. "You know just as well as I do that best, you can barely tolerate me. There has to be news of some kind in that letter, something bad, that you don't want me to know about."

Samantha laughed lightly, a little unnerved by his guess. "Please, maybe I'm just getting into character."

"Or maybe, you're a rotten liar as well as a rotten actress."

As they neared the doors to the stage, Samantha shocked him even further by planting a tentative kiss on his cheek. "What's wrong with getting into character? After all, we do have two whole scenes in front of billions of people and aliens."

Eddie frowned at her as she took her place upstage left. She was definitely hiding something and being a detective, he was determined to find out what. But for now, he was going to enjoy this suddenly love-struck Samantha for as long as it would last.

Samantha stared at the closed curtain in front of her as if it were a ticking time bomb. No, scratch that, dealing with any type of magical explosive would be easier than this.

Bitty Q.'s voice rang out over the speakers, "Welcome! My friend Bitty and I have three great shows planned for you tonight!"

"We hope," Bitty F. muttered.

"Shh!" Bitty Q. shushed her. "They don't need to know that yet."

The crowd laughed and Bitty Q. said, "These microphones just seem to pick up everything!"

She turned to glare at the curtain behind her where Glogan were arguing over something stupid. Gwen poked her head out, her mountain man beard sliding off the side of her head. "I am not a clone!"

"Yes you are!" Logan shouted.

Bitty Q. tried to smile at the audience while she said to Glogan through gritted teeth, "And if you two don't shut up, there won't be any mountain men!"

Gwen was about to reply, but Bitty F. interrupted, "Okay, let's get this show on the road. Bitty Quansa-"

"And company!" Gwen added.

Bitty F. rolled her eyes. "Fine. Bitty Quansa _and company_ proudly present: CLONES the Musical!"

There was an earth shattering applause and as the curtain began to rise Samantha Parkington broke out in a cold sweat. For someone living in a world of magic and danger to the extreme, Samantha wasn't very often afraid. But for the first time in her life, fear of the spotlight and all that came with it griped her heart. She took a deep breath and glanced over at Eddie. Just the sight of his casual, lopsided grin he flashed in her direction was enough to steady her fluttering bundle of nerves. His eyes danced in challenge, almost as if he were daring her to give up the fight and give this galaxy a show they would remember. Everything between them had always been a game to Samantha, a teasing and twisted desire to win.

Scene one began and to Samantha's relief it wasn't yet time for their grand entrance. The house lights dimmed and the colorful spotlights moved around bathing the stage in random splotches of neon. The "aliens" or Parker, Big D., Bitty F. and poor, humiliated Cecile danced out on stage. They were dressed in utterly ridiculous costumes that supposedly made them aliens.

Bitty F. ran across the stage shouting, "Who-an-na-na, who-na, na, na!"

Big D. rolled back and forth, her alien tentacles flapping in the breeze.

"Ah-iii-iii-i!" Parker almost ran off the stage as the squishy magic urchin attached to his head flopped over into his eyes and started spraying ink everywhere.

And Cecile, good ole Cecile, kept her head down and tried to look casual as she rolled out a cart carrying Glogan's Clone Master 2000.

It could only get worse from there as Clones one through four (Molly, Emily, Kelsey, and Marie-Grace) came out on the conveyor belt. The music started and Disney's song "Put it Together" blared from the speakers. Chaos reigned as it became more of a random dance party than an actual scene from a play.

From her director chair down front, Bitty Quansa was horror stricken by the nightmare playing out on stage. She glanced at the real Alien's expressionless faces before announcing to herself, "We're doomed!" She closed her eyes tight. "I just can't watch!" Then she reached for her phone and punched in a number. "Hello? Yeah, it looks like we are going to need that private jet a lot sooner than expected."

Backstage, Samantha grimaced wishing that she too could escape to Mexico. This play had gone from bad to worse and she hadn't even stepped out on stage yet. To everyone's relief, the scene finally ended. The human audience clapped hesitantly and looked at each other as if to say, "What did we just witness?"

Bitty Q. gestured frantically to the stage hands, "Close the curtain!"

"Uh?" said the clueless stage hand.

"Close the curtain! Now!"

"Oh." He yanked on the rope and the curtain swung open even wider to reveal chaos in the wings.

Bitty Q. rolled her eyes as she jumped up on stage, "Oh for Pete's sake! I can't get any good help around here, can I?"

As soon as the curtain was successfully closed, Bitty F. took a moist towelette and wiped the sweat and alien makeup off her face. "That was awesome!"

"It was?" said both Samantha and Bitty Q.

"Yeah," said Bitty F. "Did you not see those aliens in the audience? They look like they're having the time of their lives."

"What?!" Bitty Q. exclaimed. She peered out from behind the curtain and realized her friend was right. These archenemies of the human race were laughing and smiling as if they had real emotions and feelings. They were probably making fun of them, but that didn't bother Bitty Q. "Alright, let's move onto scene two. We're not giving up yet!"

"What?" Samantha's eyes widened in panic. And they had been so close to avoiding this whole disaster! "But . . . but. . ."

"You heard her," said Bitty F. "The show must go on!"

Everyone moved into position and within seconds of their entrance, Samantha once again found herself looking to Eddie for reassurance. He mouthed to her from across the stage, "Picture Andrew."

But Samantha didn't want to think about Andrew. She was about to reply that she wasn't going to picture Andrew; that when she closed her eyes it was Eddie Ryland's dashingly handsome face she saw. Andrew was completely out of the picture now that it was Eddie's arms she longed to be in. But Samantha never had a chance to utter a word of this to Eddie. In a daze, she was ushered out on stage by Clone four, Marie-Grace.

Marie-Grace smiled at her. "Enjoy it. It will be over in a moment. Don't let yourself be consumed by fear or else you'll never discover real magic under those spotlights."

Samantha's heart was pounding but she still managed to nod at Marie-Grace before stepping out on stage. Let the magic begin.

The show continued on, more or less as the script intended. Scene four had just finished and Gwen was headed backstage to relax after her big mountain man solo. As she entered the dressing room, Gwen saw her clone smiling as she read a dirty, crumpled up piece of paper. "What do you have there?"

Logan smile widened as she handed the letter to Gwen. "I think we just hit the jackpot."

It turned out that the Bitties didn't need their private jet that night after all. The Aliens were literally over the moon with the accurate, lifelike aliens they saw on stage. They even congratulated the Bitties for getting their difficult language right which was completely coincidental on the Bitties part. And Bitty Quansa's real nightmare, Samantha, did better than anyone could have imagined.

As she promised Eddie, for that night only did Samantha let go of every ounce of hostility, every wave of anger, every longing for the past and every other confused and conflicted emotion she felt whenever she was with Eddie. That night, it all melted away effortlessly under the spotlight.

That night, Samantha shone under her once in a lifetime limelight.

That night, she was simply a girl in love with a boy who had grown up teasing her, the rest didn't matter.

That night, Samantha Parkington kissed Eddie Ryland like she was madly in love with him (which she was) as the whole world and even the moon watched.

_Marie-Grace was right;_ Samantha mused as they took their final bows. She looked up at Eddie and smiled. _There is magic in show business. _

Nothing could ruin that night for Eddie. Not even the fact that behind Samantha's love-struck gaze it was probably Andrew she was thinking about could damper his mood. He knew that after the show she would go back to her hissing and scratching self again but in those few precious moments under the spotlight with her, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered because at long last he held the girl of his dreams in his arms and she was looking at him with eyes of love, not hate. For Eddie Ryland, that was reason enough to love the musical Clones.

And then it was over. Samantha and Eddie stood together with their hands clasped above their heads. The final applause was still ringing out, the confetti was still falling and the music was still fading when the curtain closed abruptly.

"That's a wrap! Good show everyone!" Bitty Q. announced.

"What?" Eddie shook his head as if awakening from a really good dream. "It's over already?"

"Already?!" Bitty Q. exclaimed. "That was the longest, most agonizing show I've ever had to sit through!"

"But we pulled it off," said Bitty F. "Now onto ALIENS. Where's our star Felicity?"

"I'm here!" Felicity shouted as she spiked her hair and tugged on some crazy colored leg warmers.

"And you thought CLONES: the musical was bad," Eddie muttered to Samantha.

Samantha laughed. "Oh, it was awful, especially since I had to share it with you."

"Yeah, well it was no picnic for me either," Eddie said even though he had loved every minute of it.

"You see, Samantha?" said Bitty Q. "You could do it."

"I always knew you had it in you!" said Bitty F.

"And even after Andrew broke up with you too!" Gwen added.

Logan cringed as she hurriedly clamped her hand over Gwen's mouth. Gwen pried Logan's hand away. "What, was I not supposed to say that?"

Logan slapped a hand to her forehead. "No Gwen, you were not supposed to say that."

All the activity on stage ceased as Eddie turned to Samantha. "Andrew what?"

Samantha's face went bright red but she recovered quickly and glared at Glogan. "And who told you that?"  
"Nellie did it!" Logan shouted.

"Hey, don't look at me," Nellie said. "They're Glogan, how do you think they found out?"

"So it's true?" Eddie wanted to know.

There was no one daring enough to respond as Eddie griped Samantha's shoulders. His fingers gently lifted her head up to meet his gaze. "Is it true, Sam?"  
Samantha looked away and bit her lip. "Maybe."

_So that's a yes_, Eddie thought. His eyes blazed as he demanded, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Samantha didn't answer, but then, Eddie didn't really expect her to. His detective brain whirled as he tried to put all the pieces together. First it was the letter which was probably from Andrew, then her expression, but she didn't seem too heartbroken because she was able to "act" like she was in love. He knew she was a terrible actress but during the show she had seemed so in love. _If she wasn't mooning over Andrew,_ Eddie realized, _then it must mean . . . _

Eddie would have kissed her in delight right then or cheerfully strangled her if it wasn't for the fact that her family was circling them like vultures. Slowly, he released her and smiled. It was the smile that scared Samantha most of all. It was an expression of pure evil. A smirk Samantha was masterful at first displaying and then executing for it meant ultimate doom for whomever it was directed too. Unfortunately for Samantha, she was finding herself at the receiving end of this one.

The activity around them resumed as the playroom people scurried to prepare for their next performance of the night. Samantha tried to flee, but Eddie grasped her arm. "We need to talk."

Her eyes widened and she violently shook her head no. In the chaos that surrounded them, Samantha was saved by Bitty F.'s shriek. "Gwen! I need some help lifting this clone machine over here!"

"Aw, but I want to watch-"

"Things are just starting to get interesting!" Logan put in.

Both Samantha and Eddie gave her a withering look.

"Glogan!" Bitty F. demanded. "Show starting in. . . ."

"Oh, alright," grumbled Logan. "We're coming.

"Don't move!" Gwen commanded the stars of CLONES: the musical. "We'll pick this up where we left off later." Bitty grabbed both Gwen and Logan by the scruffs of their necks, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she did so.

"Well, well, well," said Eddie gazing down into Samantha's warm, melted chocolate brown eyes. "Alone at last-"

"Samantha!" Marie-Grace exclaimed giving her adopted sister a big hug. "You did amazing tonight! I am so proud of you! And did you discover. . . . ..?" She shyly glanced at Eddie.

"NO!" Samantha exploded. A long night of exhausting emotional trauma after exhausting emotional trauma didn't exactly do wonders for her attitude. Her first instinct was still denial. "I didn't discover anything other than the fact that I HATE the musical Clones and I HATE-"

"You just hate how you love me," grinned Eddie.

Samantha glowered at him. "I wouldn't love you Eddie Ryland even if you were the last human being on planet earth!" With that, Samantha spun on her heel and disappeared into the abyss of actors, costumes, props, and bossing Bitties.

"Ouch," Marie-Grace shuddered.

Eddie stared after her disappearing form his smile melting as crushing disappointment clouded into his heart. He hoped, no he truly believed, this performance would have convinced Samantha of what they both know is true. But he had been so wrong about her, her stubbornness, and her ability to hold a grudge. Would Samantha ever give him the time of day? Or would he have to keep stealing hate filled moments for the rest of their lives? Should he give up the chase or would she be worth it in the end?

Marie-Grace, still in a somewhat shocked daze over seeing someone so in love speak so meanly, said, "That was kinda harsh."

Eddie sighed deeply. "That's Samantha for you. Always letting the anger of the dragon get the best of her."

"She'll cool down."

"I know," said Eddie quietly swallowing the lump in his throat. "She always does."

"No, I mean she'll cool down about being with you. She'll accept it eventually."

"Eventually." Eddie laughed bitterly. "Yeah, that will be the day!"

"Don't give up," pleaded Marie-Grace, the sudden thought of Samantha not ending up with her prince unbearable for her romantic heart. "Never give up on true love."

Eddie grew sober, his gaze uplifted to the horizon and a dreamy look stealing over his features. "I won't," he promised to himself more than Marie-Grace. "I love Samantha Parkington and I will fight until my dying day to make her mine. Even if it means taking sides in a war she's having against herself. Even if it means putting up with all her irritating siblings and loving them like they're my own family. Even if it means our happily ever after will be filled with interruptions and anguish over every playroom drama. Even if it means we'll fight like cats and dogs for the rest of eternity. Even if it means I'll spend the rest of my life pursuing her. I love Samantha Parkington and I am not going to let anything, especially not her foolish stubbornness stand in my way of winning her!"

Marie-Grace cheered. "That's my boy!"

Eddie strode off into the upheaval of utter chaos like a knight in shining white armor to hunt down his evasive beloved. Marie-Grace watched him go, hoping against all despair that for once Samantha would just thaw like butter in his arms and let him take care of her for once. Of all the playroom people, Samantha deserved a happily ever after the most. As she pondered her adopted sister's predicament, Marie-Grace was oblivious to the tall shadow creeping up behind her. An arm snaked its way around her waist while a voice whispered low in her ear, "Je t'aime. Great job tonight ma cherie, even if you were only clone #4 and not the star. You shined in my eyes."

Startled, Marie-Grace jumped only to smile softly at her pirate captain. She relaxed against him and he kissed the tip of her nose. He observed where she had originally been looking, at Samantha smartly dodging her pursuer by crawling under a cardboard space rocket, amazingly similar to the clone machine with a new crayon job, as Eddie tried to shove a costume rack that was tangling tentacles out of the way in order to reach her. The pirate glanced back and forth before landing his gaze on his own true love. "I am sooo glad we're not like them."

Marie-Grace sighed contently. "So am I, so am I."

Eddie didn't have a chance to say two words to Samantha after the musical that night. She kept herself so busy fetching things for the stage hands, fixing torn costumes with magic, and any other odd job she could beg someone, anyone to let her do it was impossible for him to approach her. Usually during the performances Samantha is lazily lounging in the last row watching. The babies usually didn't like extra people who are not in the musical buzzing around and getting in the way, but tonight they were swamped with other, bigger issues. Namely the little problem of trying not to offend the real Aliens in the audience and start another war with the moon. At this point, as long as the show was a success and the audience was happy they didn't really care who was working backstage. Samantha attended to every need so diligently the real backstage crew was kicking back and putting their feet up while Samantha did everything for them.

Samantha might be able to ignore him for now, but she would not be able to escape the after party. There were many places at a grand ball where a gentleman could sneak off to have a private moment with his lady. He should know for he had been too way to many balls in his lifetime to count. The mere thought of the celebrity party made Eddie grin wickedly in delight, _she can run but she cannot hide. Tonight, you, Samantha will be all mine._

Samantha returned home utterly exhausted. She pulled a Felicity by theatrically flinging herself across her mattress and burying her face into her pillow. "Mail!" came the unwelcome voice of the mailman as he stepped into the playroom. "Mail here for Samantha Parkington!"

Samantha groaned and buried her face deeper into her pillow. "Not again!"

"But this one is good news," said the mailman reading the letter. "Poor kid, twice in one night. At least this one isn't-"

"Just give it to me!" Samantha lifted up her arm to take it.

The mailman shrugged and tossed it to her. He made a move to exit, but then stopped suddenly to say, "What a strange musical those Bitties put on. I try not to watch those shows your family puts on, but unfortunately for me my wife is a big Quansa fan and forces me to attend with her. Clones? Really? I wish I could unsee that! They just keep getting crazier, don't they?"

Samantha's face burned red. "Yeah, tell me about it."

The mailman left, never daring to admit that he feels quite sorry for this least nuts girl out of all the playroom people. Though the mailman hates the prank mail masters Glogan with a burning passion he didn't really mind Samantha the one who tries to police the amount of prank mail and meddling they do to him.

Samantha turned her attention to her mail and gasped when she read the return address. Yes! At long last it was the letter she had been waiting for. Months ago, Samantha decided she wanted a real career besides playing mom to her adopted sisters. She longed to be a true detective and thought she had the skill set necessary in order to do it. Dealing with her family and how often they saved the world together made Samantha excel at finding clues and putting them together. While Felicity and Glogan could handle the weapons and battle tactics, Samantha could quietly whiff out the truth before those three had their heads on straight. Working as a team, they had prevented many villains from taking over the government. Unofficially, Samantha had worked as a detective for Logan. But she wanted more than being under her little adopted cousin's command. So with a glowing reference from Logan, possibly forged by Samantha, Samantha had written to a secret detective agency asking for a place among their agents. If Bitty Quansa could sneak out to take sky diving lessons at night then Samantha thought there was no reason why she couldn't live a double life and work as a detective at night. During the day, she could still monitor her family but this way she could have something for her own enjoyment. Now for the moment of truth, would the detective agency accept her or not?

Dear Miss Parkington,

Thank you for your application if somewhat unformal. Logan is known to us through her status as national hero and black market activities. A reference from her can either bode well or unwell for you. In this case, we are willing to give you a chance to prove yourself to us. If you succeed in your first case then you will be welcomed among us a full-fledged member despite you not having any former training in the discipline. If you fail, you will be brain washed of any memory of us. All of our agents work in partners. Agents are NEVER sent out solo, it's much too dangerous to fly alone and we find we lose too many agents that way. We always partner men with women. Call us old fashioned, but that's just the way we do things. We find it is better protection for our female agents and it is better book smarts for our male agents. Your partner's name will not be revealed to you until you meet him. He will be close to your age. He has trained with us for several years, but this will be his first real case too. He has the details for your first case. Meet him at this location tomorrow night. 742 Castle Street. It is an abandoned mansion. Please destroy this message before it falls into the wrong hands.

Looking forward to brain wash-I mean your success!

Thank you,

The detective agency

"Wow," Samantha breathed hardly daring to let herself believe it. She was actually going to live her dream. Andrew would never understand her desire to bust criminals, but maybe Eddie. . . .. .

No! Eddie will never know about this either. Samantha wondered about her partner. Would he be as handsome as. . . . .

No! Maybe she'll fall in love with her partner and forget all about. . . . .

Her train of thought was interrupted by a stampede of girls tromping in the through the front door. "Alright!" Bitty F. clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "It's party time!"

There was a cheer from tried crew of stage girls and within a few seconds they were all dressed in in the nines in their finest ball gowns.

"What?" choked Samantha.

"You know we always have a big ball after any of our performances," said Bitty F. fashioning a stylish wig to her bald head.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?!" demanded the director Bitty Q.

"Because I'm not going," replied Samantha stiffly.

"Oh, yes you are," said Bitty F. "Even if it means I have to hog tie you and carry you there myself."

Bitty Q. whispered in her ear, "Do you even know what hog tie means?"

"Nope," answered Bitty F. "But it sounds right. I heard it somewhere once. Maybe it's got something to do with hogs."

"Oh, brother," muttered Samantha. "If you don't know what word means then don't use it and I am NOT going."

"If you star in a play," reminded Bitty Q., "then you suffer through the after party. With Guy #1."

"He has a name you know. We all do!"

"Okay Girl #1," said Bitty F. deliberately not using her real name, "Guy #1 will be here any minute to escort you to the ball and I suggest you get dressed."

"What should I wear?"

Bitty F. slapped a hand to her forehead. "Not this again. We'll be here all night!"

"Let me see if I can help," Nellie interjected. "Here, how about the lavender one you got for Give Me Presents day? It's new, he's never seen you wear it. Plus it's not super fancy. This isn't a royal ball so medieval gowns are not required."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Oh, do I have to wear that one? It's just so-"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Bitty F. said impatiently. "Just put on the stupid dress!"

There was a knock at the door and a voice proclaiming, "You can run but you can't hide Miss Parkington. Your favorite escort is here."

Nellie snapped her fingers and the dress appeared on Samantha in a heart-beat. Give Me Presents Day, a.k.a. Jessica's birthday, was a national holiday for the playroom kids because they were showered with new dresses and stuff for no other reason than that it was their adopted mother's birthday. This new dress was a gift. Three or four years ago, the real world time travel company American Girl put their Samantha in the archives. Honestly, Samantha didn't like to think about American Girl too much because it brought up the subject that every girl that comes out of there is actually a clone of some real girl living back in time. Most people don't like to dwell on the fact that they might not really be who they think they are but are instead a clone living a lie and being sold to millions of children all across real world America. It's gets confusing really fast when one thinks of a company like American Girl magical Pretend Friend Ville terms, and it's just better not to dwell on it too much. For the Samantha living in the playroom, American Girl archives meant no new dresses on Give Me Presents Day. However, this last summer American Girl brought Samantha back from the archives only it was a dismayed horror for they completely changed everything about her and labeled it "BeForever." Samantha didn't want any of these strange new clothes from this wacko version of herself, but lo and behold she got two new dresses for Give Me Presents Day. The problem Samantha had with the dress was that it didn't seem authentic to her. It was skin tight, very short, and very, very shiny. In Samantha's time, there comes a point in a young woman's life when she stops wearing short skirts of a child and settled for something much more grown up. Growing up in her day meant skirts come down and hair goes up. Wearing this dress meant for a ten year old as a mature sixteen year old meant she would be a laughing stock. Not to any people at the party because they didn't live back in her time and short tight dresses were all the rage right now. To Samantha, it was humiliating. And then to be seen by Eddie who knows full well the fashions of their own time period was just an added horror. The dress itself wasn't horrible. In fact, it was a lovely color with lots of lacy bows. The shoes were knee high boots with pearl buttons and they matched perfectly. The only problem was how tight and short it was. Samantha, along with everyone in the playroom, believed American Girl was deliberately trying to be cheap, save fabric and cheat the customers. Their quality went way down over the last few years. It was very disappointing to witness especially on Give Me Presents Day. So Samantha wore the new lavender dress to the star party, hating every wretched moment of it.

Eddie was about to knock again when suddenly the door opened. Eddie dropped the bundle of flowers he was holding, gazed down at Samantha and whistled. He raised an eyebrow. "Nice dress you've got there Sa-"

"Shut up," she snapped taking his arm. She stepped over the wilting flowers as if they weren't even there.

Eddie only grinned stupidly at her, making her heart melt.

"Well," said Eddie awkwardly. "I think this is probably the worst ball I've ever attended." The after party was held at a palace on the beach. Quansa and company sure knew how to party. It was perhaps, one of the best balls they've ever hosted for both aliens and humans a like put aside their differences and came together as one to enjoy the finest musical high cultured society could create. Tonight's festivities were rivaled by none other than the annual "ball of the century" on New Year's Eve, the biggest bash of all.

"The worst by far," muttered Samantha.

"May I have this dance?"

"NO."

"Aw, come on!"

"You got your dance in the musical."

"Drum roll please," announced Bitty Q. at the microphone. The drummer obeyed. He knew where his nonexistent pay check came from.

"And now," added Bitty F. mysteriously, "the moment you've all been waiting for!"

Bitty Q. said what Samantha was dreading, "Our stars from our latest hit musical Clones will now dance together!"

Samantha scowled as Eddie smirked. "My lady, this dance?" Samantha had no choice but to comply. As she spun and twirled in and out of his arm's Samantha was keenly aware of all the people watching them. "Smile Sam," Eddie said through gritted teeth. She "accidently" stomped on his toe. "Your fans are watching." They danced for hours, losing track of time as they continuously gazed into one another's eyes. Samantha had been to many balls in her lifetime but never had any been as wondrous as this one despite her irritation with her outfit. Although Samantha was a frequent ball goer, she almost never had anyone to dance with. She mostly went to watch her sisters. Now Samantha could finally experience the joy of balls and felt she could dance the whole night away as long as it was with Eddie Ryland.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream. Samantha's heart stopped. She knew that voice better than anyone and it was coming from the beach. When your baby, who never learned how to swim, is screaming somewhere near the direction of the raging surf.

Samantha fled from Eddie's arms faster than a cheetah on the hunt. "Sam, wait!" Eddie called after her. Samantha didn't wait, couldn't afford to not when she knew something must be terribly wrong for her little Bitty Fatterson to scream like that. Bitty is always very loud, but this time it was different and Samantha could tell the difference immediately.

Samantha and Eddie arrived at the scene to Nellie half transformed into a mermaid and standing knee deep in the crashing waves. Bitty F. was standing on the shore looking out to see and crying. Samantha enfolded her little sister in her arms. "Shh," she soothed as she rocked her back and forth rubbing her back. "Bitty, what's wrong? I need you to tell me."

"B-b-itty!" She hiccupped.

"Yes? What about Bitty?"

"In the water! We were in the lighthouse. She wanted to trick you and Eddie into getting together. I came up with a plan and she jumped and riptide and-" the rest of Bitty's words were unintelligent amidst her blubbering.

Samantha was frantic with worry for her little cousin. She inhaled deeply trying to calm herself. It would not due to have a panic attack because then she couldn't rescue Bitty. This was not the first time Bitty Q. had gotten herself lost nor would it be the last. But it was the first time she had ever been lost at sea. And for a girl who couldn't swim. . ..

Samantha shook Bitty F. by the shoulders. "What were you thinking?!"

Bitty burst into tears. "We were just trying to help you!"

"Samantha!" Nellie scolded gathering Bitty up in her arms. "Don't be mean to her. It's not her fault Bitty decided to-"

"Yeah, well, she caused it!" muttered Samantha.

"Bitty!" Bitty F. wailed.

Samantha softened. "I know Bitty. We'll find her, I promise."

Bitty was far from comforted. "You don't care! You don't care about us anymore because you only have eyes for Eddie!"

Samantha blinked, for the first time utterly speechless. Then the anger set in and her face turned red as her hands balled into fists at her sides. "And who is to blame for that? Who is the one who wrote a musical-"

"Samantha that's enough!" interrupted Nellie. "Now let's all-"

Bitty screamed again.

"If I may," started Eddie and Samantha glared at him. "Fine, if you don't want my help then I won't give it!" he shouted and stalked off.

"Eddie, wait!" Samantha ran behind calling after him.  
"There she goes again!" Bitty sobbed.

Nellie sighed angrily, her frustration mounting. "Alright Bitty, sit here and don't move. I'm going in after Bitty." She dove head first into the swelling tide instantly transforming into a mermaid.

"Eddie Ryland!"

He stopped walking and whirled around to face Samantha. "What?"

Samantha didn't know what to say from here. She desperately wanted, no needed, his help to find her little adopted sister but she was repulsed by the mere thought of asking him of all people for help. Still, she must do whatever she can to save Bitty even if it meant humiliating herself by submitting to her wildest nightmare and ask the dreaded Eddie Ryland for help. "Please," she whispered. "I need to save Bitty. I don't have time to argue."

Eddie couldn't stop the grin from leering down at her. "And?"

"And what?" Samantha wanted nothing more to slap the slimy smirk off his face.

"Isn't there something else you want to say to me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm sorry."

"That doesn't sound very sincere, now does it?" Then he gazed down into her tight face and realized now was not the time to play games with her. Not when her family was in danger and they were depending on her to save the day. Suddenly, she was in his arms shivering not from cold, but from fear. "We'll find her, Sam." He murmured low in her ear. "Don't worry. I'm here to help, you don't even have to ask." She nodded gratefully, shining eyes staring up into his. He wanted nothing more than to lean down and press his lips against hers, but they had a job to do and they needed to hurry if they were going to find Bitty before it was too late. "Come on, let's go to my yacht. We'll find her faster by sea."

"You have a yacht?"

"Of course. Don't you?"

"And it just happens to be docked at this resort where the ball is being held?"

He blushed. "I was hoping.. . ."

Samantha wasted no more time in asking dumb questions. It was clear what he was hoping and now he was getting his wish if in a somewhat unexpected way. As Eddie spoke to the captain, Samantha stood at the bow and whispered to the wind, "I'm coming Bitty, wherever you are."

An hour passed with everyone on board scanning the waves with their eyes peeled for Bitty. The desperation in Samantha was growing more intense with each passing minute. Even Eddie was grim, but he tried not to show it for Samantha's sake. Suddenly, there was a large splash on the starboard side. "Nellie!" Samantha squealed as her fishy friend scrambled aboard. She flopped about on deck for a while until her shimmering aqua tail morphed back into human legs, fully clothed ones at that.

"Did you find. . . .?" asked Eddie solemnly.

Nellie scowled. "No."

Samantha's heart sank. She clutched Eddie's hand and he squeezed it in return. Nellie glanced down at their clasped hands wondering not for the first time if she was losing her friend for good.

"Ahoy there mateys!" bellowed a loud voice behind them. Samantha, Nellie, and Eddie lifted their downcast faces to see the Captain of the French Pirates bringing his ship up alongside theirs. "Look who we found!"

Bitty Baby Quansa was curled up sound asleep on Marie-Grace's lap. A soggy ball gown was heaped on the deck next to them while Bitty wore footie pajamas and was swaddled in a pink blanket.

"What?!" gaped Eddie.

"How?" breathed Samantha.

"Where?!" demanded Nellie.

Marie-Grace put a finger to her lips as Bitty stirred in her arms. "Shh!"

"I'll tell you later!" The pirate cupped his hands and called softly. "But she's safe now and I'm taking them home."

Nellie nodded and gave him the thumbs up.

"Well," said Samantha turning to Eddie her face slightly reddening in embarrassment. "I guess your services are no longer needed. Home please."

Eddie grumbled under his breath, "Oh, so now I'm your chauffeur?" He was strangely disappointed in the pirate's heroic act of saving Bitty Quansa's life. Eddie knew the pirate had a long history with the young girl and it was probably best the captain had been the one to rescue her, but he had hoped that by saving her youngest sister he might have proven to Samantha that he cares about her family as much as she does and that he is capable of helping her sometimes. She needn't shoulder it all alone when he's there to give her a hand.

They arrived back at the party sooner than Eddie would have liked. Before they disembarked he grabbed Samantha's hand and kissed her knuckles gentleman like, "I've enjoyed this day with you, Sam, even though you insist you don't. Would you like to come to tea at my home on Castle Street tomorrow afternoon? You can bring Nellie and meet my adopted family."

Samantha opened her mouth to refuse when Nellie spoke up, "She would love to!"

"No!" Samantha protested. "We are not-"

"Samantha Parkington! You had better say yes! You don't realize what you have and you can't let it slip away. You had better go but you had better not bring me along. I am not going to be a third wheel."

"Nellie," gasped Samantha in a shocked tone of betrayal. "Is this because you're upset it's Eddie-"

"No, that's you. Yes, I'm not happy it is Eddie. But you are madly in love with him and I'll accept it unlike you-"

"What are you saying?"

"Oh, forget it! Just go off and leave us and-"

"One minute you're telling me to go be with Eddie and the next you're telling me to-"

"How can you not understand?"

"Me?! You're the one being ridiculous! I thought you were my friend!"

"And I thought you were mine but I guess we both thought wrong!"

"How dare you accuse me of-"

"How dare you say-"

Then the arguing and yelling really began and it was a full blown cat fight. Eddie Ryland snapped his fingers and a pair of ear plugs appeared in his ears. Only when Nellie disappeared in a puff of smoke did Eddie take them out to hear Samantha sigh deeply. What was wrong with them? For their entire lives together, Samantha and Nellie rarely ever fought. Samantha could count on one hand the amount of times they've fought over the years and now when they're on Eddie Ryland's yacht they had the worst spat of their entire friendship. Mustering every ounce of dignity she could Samantha Parkington said, "Yes, Eddie, I will come to tea at your home on Castle Street tomorrow afternoon. I cannot say if Nellie will be there or not. Thank you for today and goodbye."

As she turned and walked proudly down the gang plank Eddie couldn't suppress a grin. The day was far from over, the best was yet to come. Oh, if only she knew what she was in for tonight.

"Hello?" Samantha called timidly as she carefully tiptoed over shards of broken glass. It was midnight and she had arrived at 742 Castle Street. Castle Street was a long road, with the grand stately houses with big yards starting at number one and ending with number one thousand. The Ryland residence was address 152 which was far enough away for Samantha to feel comfortable that she wasn't going to run into her old rival on this night. Her heels clicked against the scratched wood floor. Neon graffiti covered every wall in this abandoned, vandalized home. The plaque outside the building said it was built in 1902. _What a coincidence, _Samantha thought wryly, _since that is our era. _"Hello?" she called again feeling uneasy at the sight of a lone male figure standing in the darkened back doorway where not even the moon shown for light. "Are you to be my partner?"

The stranger slid a bundle of paper in her direction. Startled, Samantha flinched a little and then knelt to pick it up. "Is this our assignment?" She flipped through the pages. "Hmmm, a traitor in Washington? Someone in the Senate is betraying the U.S. to the alien soldiers on the moon! This is our mission? To find out who-"

"Shh!" scolded the shadowy man, his voice awfully familiar. "Don't talk about your mission so openly like that! You never know who might be listening."

"Yeah, right. In this abandoned house?"

Abruptly there was a clatter on the second floor landing and two burly men stumbled down the stairs burlap sacks of money slung over their shoulders. Samantha recognized them immediately. They were the stinky bandits who kept robbing banks all across the continental U.S. and blaming their crimes on Gwen and Logan. For months, Glogan tracked them down to clear their names with no success. These robbers were famous for hiding out in condemned buildings and then sneaking off in the dead of night. Right now, it looked like they had just emptied Bitty Quansa's bank account.

The men pounced forward and Samantha had no chance to run. They kept stalking towards her until she was backed into a corner with no way to escape. In a flash, her presumed partner was on them attacking wildly. A shaft of moonlight lit his face in a glow. Savage rage animated his features as he fought off the two thugs. Samantha's heart nearly stopped. "Eddie? You're my detective colleague?"

"Yes!" he panted. "And I can really use some help over here!" Eddie had one robber in a choke hold while he kicked the other one who fell stumbling into the crumbling wall behind them. He didn't stay down for long, he immediately bounced up to prowl around Eddie like a predator stalking its prey.

"What do you want me to do?" Samantha shouted in panic.

"I don't know! Think of something! You're supposed to be the brains of the operation!"

She scanned the debris on the floor for something useful. Spying a rusted rake she paused motionless over the wrestling men on the ground poised to strike. "Hold still!" she commanded Eddie. "I don't want to hit you."

The thrashing trio would most certainly not hold still. Eddie was huffing and puffing, his cheeks red and the fight going out of him. Samantha quickly sought to distract him. "You didn't seem surprised to see me."

"Now is really not a good time Sam!"

But Samantha knew it was in fact a great time for a verbal war. If he kept his focus on arguing with her then he would better use his aggression against his attackers. Eddie wasn't a classically warrior trained like the French pirate and so he was relying on instinct and adrenaline alone. He would function better in a fight if he was distracted and didn't think too much about what he was doing because the moment he thought about it too much it was all over. The stinky bandits tackled Eddie Ryland to the ground smothering him under their heavy sacks of money.

"Did you know I was going to be here tonight?" she asked accusingly.

"Um. . . .Yes. I mean no! No! You, Samantha, a detective? Ha!" He laughed. In a sudden burst of strength, he pushed the two criminals off of him and leaped to his feet staggering under another blow.

"And what's so funny about that?" Samantha demanded with her hands on her hips the rake forgotten.

"Creeping around at night? Won't you be scared?"

_Not as long as I have you, _the unbidden thought startled Samantha so her cheeks reddened a bit. But all she said was, "Ha! It sounds like someone is missing his mommy, scaredy-cat."

"I am not scared! I'm more afraid of having to deal with you than any danger-"

"Oh, so you're afraid of me now too?"

Infuriated, Eddie pummeled one bandit so hard he slumped against the wall unconscious. Samantha beat him with the rake for good measure. Together they cornered the other hooligan. Eddie turned to Samantha and the look in his eyes made her heart whimper pathetically. "No. I was never afraid of your dragoness-"

The bandit's eyes widened at the mention of a dragon. Samantha's dragon sense could smell the fear radiating off of him.

"Even in 1904," continued Eddie, "I always thought or hoped rather you and I-"

"Funny," Samantha paused to punch the bank robber in the nose while Eddie hand cuffed him to an exposed pipe in the wall. "I always thought you would end up with Edith Eddleton."

"Eddie Eddleton?" Eddie echoed. "Are you crazy?! She was Mount Bedford's most annoying stuck up little know it all who had no regard for anyone but herself!"

"Like someone else I know," Samantha teased.

"Really, and who's that?"

She shrugged. "I always thought you guys would be perfect for each other. You both lived to torture me."

Eddie appeared mortally wounded by that comment. "Sam, I may have been a jerk, but I never meant any of it in the same way she did. How could you have ever thought so lowly of me?"

His hurt expression was more than she could bear. She crossed her arms and snapped, "Just forget it, okay? It doesn't matter anymore."

"Of course it matters," he said gently. "It clearly matters to you and so it's important to me too."

"Don't we have a job to do here?"

He colored slightly and cleared his throat. "Yes, we do. Look, you've had a long day-"

"You can't get rid of me that easy! This is my chance to-"

Eddie held up a hand in surrender. "I'm not trying to undermine you or take over or anything even though you may think I am. You've had a long day. Take the case file, go home, read it over. I have some theories and I want to know what you think. And above all, get some rest. You need it. I'll deal with these delinquents and take them down to the jail so you don't have to."

"What about clearing Glogan's names?" They were her sisters after all and Samantha felt it was her duty to make sure they are still not going to be charged with these bad guy's crimes.

He nodded. "I'll work on that too. Do you trust me?"

"Looks like I'm going to have to, if we're really going to be working together."

"That's the spirit, Sam. Now go to bed."

Samantha was far from the picture of perfect restfulness when she awoke bleary eyed early the next day to Felicity's high pitched scream. The girl was riding her horse in circles around the room. "Urgh," Samantha groaned, not wanting to deal with Felicity and still wondering if last night's excursion with Eddie was a really bad dream or not. "Felicity! How many times have I told you-"

"Not to ride in the house," Felicity finished. "But Penny loves it in here! The rug is so nice and soft under her hooves. She told me so and-"

"You were banned from the park again, weren't you?"

"Yup," Felicity said gleefully sprinkling Peter Pan's brand name "You can fly!" powder on the mare's mane. The horse whinnied as her strides began to lift them off the ground. "Logan, turn off the fan. It might spook her."

"Not my problem," Logan muttered rolling over in bed to play more video games.

Spooked by the ceiling fan, Penny bucked and reared tossing her head and neighing while Felicity clung on for dear life. "Can someone open the window?"

Samantha rubbed her forehead, a massive headache mounting. She glanced at the clock and gasped. It was after one o'clock in the afternoon. Eddie Ryland would be here any minute-

"Parkington!" A pounding knock at the door echoed throughout the house. "You're not backing out on me are you? Not after you gave your word to come today?"

"Well, after you kept me out all hours of the night," Samantha mumbled darting to the left to avoid a horse apple dropping from the sky. She called in a louder voice, "Just a minute!" With a snap of her fingers, she was wearing a long blue dress she had also received for Give Me Presents Day. This one was much more comfortable than the lavender number she wore yesterday and much more appropriate too. She opened the door to see Eddie's adoring grin. He offered his arm and said, "Shall we?"

Samantha's heart fluttered in the realization she was quite looking forward to this. _Me?! _She thought in growing horror. _Enjoying Eddie Ryland's company?! _Could it be? Yes, Samantha realized she craved his presence and awaited every grin with delicious anticipation.

Nellie decided to take Eddie up on his invitation after all. Except Samantha and Eddie had already gone without her leaving Nellie to show up on the Castle Street doorstep alone as an awkward third wheel. Nellie was not a happy camper and she felt disappointment in her friend immensely. To be fair, Samantha had no idea Nellie wanted to come and after their fight yesterday assumed she would not.

So Nellie arrived late to be ushered in by a butler to sit in a parlor full of strange boys. While the adopted Playroom family was made up of all girls save one, the adopted Castle street family was made up of all boys. The adopted brothers welcomed Nellie and promptly informed her Mr. Ryland was giving Miss Parkington a grand tour of the mansion and was under no circumstances to be disturbed. Seething, Nellie submitted and sat quietly sipping tea. She was torn between being happy for her friend to cheer Samantha on for accepting a date with Eddie and being jealous and upset for herself.

In the highest tower of perhaps the largest fortress on Castle Street, Eddie Ryland and Samantha Parkington stood frozen together at the windowsill gazing at the glowing embers of a fiery sunset. Neither one spoke, although a light smile touched Eddie's lips.

"I can see my house from here!" Samantha exclaimed.

"I know, I've gazed at it many a time thinking of you."

She almost slapped him. "You stalking creep!"

His smile fell into a depressed sigh. "Sam, tell me the truth. If I had showed up on your doorstep seven years ago when the playroom was first built what would you have done?"

Samantha didn't like to think about that. "I-"

"Exactly. Would you have given me the time of day? Would you have abandoned your ever expanding adopted family to put me in my place? I would have distracted you from raising those kids. I would not have been welcomed. You would have had even more reason to hate me. It simply wasn't time yet. So I watched from a distance knowing in my head it was wrong to spy on you and your family yet in my heart my adoration and admiration for you was growing stronger by the day."

Samantha's breath caught. He had been living within sight of her for years, practically next door neighbors, and because of her negative attitude towards him he never felt like he could reveal himself to her. Never before had she felt so cruel or so guilty. Desperately desiring to flee, Samantha took a step back and another and followed by another drawing ever closer to the spiral staircase behind her.

"Samantha!" he cried in distress. "No!"

It was too late for Samantha had already tumbled backwards down the stone steps. Eddie rushed toward her. In his haste he tripped and went rolling down the seven story staircase after her. Samantha hit the dirt first her back slamming against the solid stone floor. Eddie landed practically on top of her, his arms extended in an almost push up like pose so not as to squish her. Concern was etched on his every feature. "Samantha! Are you alright?"

No response.

"Oh good heavens, I've gone and killed her! Sam! Not on my property! If you're going to die then do it on Play Road so I don't get stuck with the lawsuits."

Her eyelids fluttered open and she smacked him hard on the arm. "How dare you! You think I'm dying and you're only concerned about whether you'll be sued or not?"

A foolish grin lit up his face. "I knew you were only pretending." She growled in aggravation. "Have to do better than that next time you want to trick me."

He gazed down into her eyes and Samantha's heart almost really did stop for a minute. She reached a hand up to flick away a lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. Grandmary would have been horrified to see them in this improper position with not even Glogan as chaperone. Somehow, Samantha no longer cared what Grandmary would have thought of her latest antics. "Someone needs a haircut."

"Any recommendations for a good barber? I'm new in town."

"You are not!"

"True," he said thoughtfully. "But I have to make up for lost time here. I've got seven years of-"

"I think you've more than made up for it already."

"Really?" The grin grew wider. "So what's it going to take for you to admit you love me?"

Samantha smiled sweetly up at him. "If you say it first."

Eddie Ryland brought his lips down to hers in a kiss. "Well, Miss Samantha Parkington. I am-"

"Speechless?" She offered.

He shook his head. "No, although the mere sight of you makes me breathless."

Samantha struggled to keep her heartbeat and the temperature of her face under control. This was the moment she had been waiting for her whole life, a moment every girl dreams of. The moment when prince charming came to sweep her off her feet. And it just happened to be with the person she thought she had despised most in the world.

"I am certainly smitten, consumed completely, undeniably and utterly in love with you."

Samantha, with her defenses down and emotions running high, was just about to open her mouth and say-

"Breaking news!" announced PFV's most annoying herald.

"Oh, not again!" Samantha moaned. Eddie hung his head for he knew that after this interruption she would not say what he had been hoping to hear.

"We just received word from the moon front. The aliens on the moon are now allied with the Martians on Mars to destroy the planet earth. The human race is divided over how to handle this problem. This morning the United States and Canada have declared war against Russia, England, and France while Brazil and Mexico declared war on China, Japan, and Australia. Other countries have joined the ban wagon in fighting against each other rather than the extraterrestrials for the full list check out our website at .com. Spy services are working around the clock to find out more of how this could have happened. The army is calling for recruits. I don't mean to sound grim but if the aliens attack right now we're all doomed. This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill. World War III is happening. Please prepare the best you can. The safe houses on Venus are no longer a safe evacuation option. Please stay on the planet earth. The playroom's Martha Keabl was spotted in her rocket departing for the moon this morning. She is a prime suspect. New report. This just came in now. Breaking news! Martha Keabl has declared herself queen of the aliens. That's all for now folks, but stay tuned for your latest WWIII updates."

Samantha's face went pale. Her adopted sister was responsible for starting World War III! Wars just don't suddenly start all by themselves. Gradually, all the signs manifest into . Because Samantha was so busy flirting with Eddie, she never noticed what her adopted sister Martha was up to. It's stressful to live with a villain for you never know when they might next plan to take over the world.

"Samantha," Eddie said softly. "This is not your fault."

"Yes it is!" Samantha cried. "Martha did this. I could've stopped her-"

"There was nothing you could do. You can't single handily stop a war-"

"I've done it before. When we vacationed in Germany last winter and Felicity met the assassin Reginald who was working for Martha to-"

"Okay, yes, you've stopped Martha before. But this time is different. She has a whole planet under her control! You can't face all those aliens-"

"I guess you're right," Samantha sighed. "I could have prevented Martha from going evil-"

"Sam," Eddie almost shook her. "Stop going down this path. Don't let your brain do this to you. You're going to need every ounce of energy to fight this war with your family."

"My family! I have to get home before Felicity-"

"Samantha!" Nellie called sharply. "Did you hear the news?"

"I have to get home," Samantha told Eddie. "See you tonight?"

In all honesty, Eddie didn't know if he wouldn't be overseas as a soldier or not. But he couldn't tell her that now. "Yes. Go stop Felicity before she goes to the moon to wipe out all the aliens."

One year and six months ago. .. . . .

"No!" Logan shouted. She was tied up on the floor of the train car flopping around like a fish out of water. She had managed to get the gag off of her mouth, but she hadn't yet had success with the rest of the ropes binding her up. Five minutes earlier Felicity Merriman had been arrested for attempting to time travel to the future. The officers did not know Glogan were aboard and they zapped away with Felicity leaving the out of control train to speed forward at the alarming pace of faster than the speed of light. A very unusual sight indeed for the time travel train can only ever go backwards. One cannot time travel to the future because it has not happened yet. Felicity's quest to do the impossible even by PFV standards was probably going to wipe them all out of existence.

"Huh?" said Gwen. "Why not?"

"Nooo!" screamed Logan. It was too late. Gwen had already thrown open the door to the outside. The moment she did a swirling black hole entered the car. The wind was howling and a black dust covered the surface of everything in its wake. Realizing her mistake, Gwen tried with all her might to shut the door and failed miserably. The dark mass of magic sucked her up like a vacuum. She shut her eyes tight knowing she was about to be blown out of this world. "Goodbye, Logan! It was nice knowing you!"

A cord landed over Gwen's head. She cautiously opened one eye to see Logan's grim face staring at her on hard concentration the loose hair from her pigtails wiping around her head. Logan had finally managed to free herself and was now using those very same ropes to lasso Gwen.

The brakes squealed as the train suddenly came to a grinding halt. The black hole evaporated in a surge of light. A disk dropped from the cloud in a burp. The train started moving backward slowly at first and then gradually gaining speed. Logan reached for the DVD before Gwen could grab it. A message was scrawled across the cover that read:

Help us! Stop World War III

Logan looked at Gwen and Gwen stared back at Logan. "Wow," breathed Gwen.

"Whatever we do-"

"Don't tell Samantha!"

They went home and sealed themselves in their cave like room on their bookshelf. They popped the DVD in and screamed bloody murder for several days. On the shelf above them Martha Keabl was hard at work marking red dots on a map labeled "My next world conquest. WWIII. Mwhahaha!"

Nellie heard Glogan's screams and said to Samantha, "Should we be worried about that?"

Samantha waved off her concern. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. We've heard worse coming from that shelf."

"True that, true that. You're right, Logan is probably just experimenting on Gwen in her lab again."

For the next eighteen months, Glogan were obsessed with the DVD from the future and spent countless hours trying to come up with a plan to prevent the next world war from happening. Logan overestimated the date and believed it wasn't going to happen for another fifty years. Even so, they worked hard to come up with a plan. Little did they know then that their efforts were futile and the war was approaching much more quickly than either one could ever anticipate.

Back in the Present. . . . .

Gwen heard the breaking news guy and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Logan! Major problem here!" She hyperventilated and the cowered to the ground in her classic Gwen is panicking pose.

"What?" said Logan emerging from their shelf wearing a white lab coat, big bug eyed googles and giant rubber gloves. "I'm kinda in the middle of something important here!"

Gwen gasped for breath and pointed to the T.V. Logan dropped the cauldron on Gwen's foot. Utterly shocked and horrified, Logan was paralyzed with terror and began to panic too. A moment later, she had snapped out of it and was commanding Gwen, "Get the-"

"Already on it," said Gwen pulling out a clipboard. "Do you want to try plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, or-"

Gwen was scared by the glint in Logan's eye. "Plan Z."

Gwen's eyeballs nearly popped out of her head. "You don't mean. . . .?"

"Oh, yes I do. It's time to show those aliens who is boss."

September passed, followed by October and then November. The war raged on. Aliens were invading earth at full force. The people of earth were too busy fighting each other to deal with the enemy in their midst. The playroom did everything they could to help with the war effort, but even they were forced to admit that until the humans could come together undivided then they would never be able to defeat the aliens.

Felicity obeyed Samantha and did not run off to be a soldier. However, she did play a much more crucial role than any common soldier and it was a position much more dangerous too. Felicity spent most of her time smuggling weapons, spying on foreign governments, playing messenger by delivering secret documents to the underground war effort, training soldiers to fight aliens because it is an art more complicated than point and shoot, and giving grand speeches to all the bigwigs in congress and other important circles to try and drive it through their thick skulls that the humans are not the ones we should be fighting here. The underground war effort was a hidden group of rebels who believed the governments could squabble and argue all day sending millions of boys off to their deaths fighting with other countries but the only people who can actually stand up to the aliens need to rally and fight. There was an underground war effort in every nation and they were plotting how to use government troops in battle tactics against the aliens and not each other. Felicity's job as messenger was to deliver messages to and from the underground in all nations. Samantha almost wished she would be a soldier because Felicity was taking higher risks than any common recruit. Still, even Samantha could realize the good Felicity was doing and was secretly quite proud of her.

Molly went to work in a weapons factory designing and engineering new weapons to try against the aliens. Her scientific mind was perfect for this highly technical job. Emily was a news reporter, trying to create her own newspaper and news channels in which she could give unbiased, uncorrupted news to the people. She also worked closely with the underground although Samantha did not know this. Elizabeth sometimes accompanied Felicity in her travels, but when she was sick of Felicity she sometimes assisted Molly or Emily.

Martha and Kelsey were obviously on the moon and sometimes Mars, their new allies. They were busy acting as evil dictators over the aliens. They were living it up in their high positions and were perhaps celebrating a little too early because the war wasn't won yet.

The babies, Bitty F. Bitty Q. Parker, and Big D were too young to do anything useful. They mostly stayed home and out of the way.

Marie-Grace, Cecile, and Nellie worked in orphanages and setting up homes to watch the children of parents who were off fighting. It was Marie-Grace's idea to set up community homes run by a couple adults for children who had both parents off fighting somewhere. Their work was the most devastating for they saw the horror and trauma of war devastating the supposed to be carefree childhoods of kids. The pirate didn't fight in the war. Being a pirate, he belonged to no country, not even France, and the government could not make him fight. So the pirate also worked closely with the underground resistance movement against the aliens when he wasn't by Marie-Grace's side that is. His ship was used for transport, shipping kids to safer areas away from war zones and shipping in food and basic necessities like toys and blankets. Marie-Grace and the pirate were a great team in WWIII. He could fight and protect those children from any unexpected alien raid yet at the same time be a gentle caring friend. Marie-Grace admired him with love-struck eyes thinking he would make the perfect husband and father someday while the pirate gazed at his beloved Ti-Marie believing she would be the perfect wife and mother.

As for Samantha. . . . .

Samantha and Eddie were swamped with new cases. The months of war were wearing on Samantha as she took care of her family by day and worked with Eddie all night. They never completed that first case assigned to Samantha. With the war, the detective agency was recruiting people left and right giving them full status despite the fact most of the newbies didn't complete every challenge as well as the ought. They were not judged as harshly as they would have been had there not been a war going on.

Samantha was starting to realize she loved every moment working alongside Eddie. Together, they solved many mysterious and helped the war effort in secret, unknown ways. World War III was every bit as horrifying as Glogan imagined when they first watched the DVD all those months ago. It was a living nightmare, but they were surviving and that was all Samantha could dare to hope for.

Eddie Ryland had something he wanted, no needed, to tell Samantha. It would crush him to say it just as it would devastate her to hear it. For the last several months he had been thinking about this and now it was finally time for him to act on it.

However, the night Eddie planned to say what was on his heart Samantha didn't show up to her midnight office. Nor the next night or the next. They still met and conducted most of their business at 742 Castle Street. It served as a neutral non suspicious location away from Play Road and the detective agency where they could work on most of their cases. Eddie was puzzled by this for he had received no note or phone call. Where could Samantha be? After a week passed, he finally marched down to 742 Play Road and demanded to know what the heck is going on.

"Oh, Eddie." Samantha fell into his arms. "Felicity is missing in action."

Dumbfounded he said, "What? She's-"

Samantha nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "That girl is going to get herself killed. I always knew the day was coming but now it's finally-"

"Don't talk like that. This isn't the first time she's-"

"But this is the first world war she's tried to stop. The revolutionary war was a whole different ball of wax."

"Come on, this is Felicity we're talking about! She won't die no matter how many villains try to get the deed done."

Samantha giggled. "I suppose you're right." Then she grew grim again. "The alien aggression is growing stronger. Especially in the area where Felicity-"

"Shh," he put a finger to her lips and looked around them. "The walls have ears. Loose lips sink ships. Don't worry about her too much, Sam."

She snuggled against his chest. "You're right."

He staggered. "I'm what?" Did Samantha Parkington really just say. . . .? Her faced flushed crimson, but before she could speak he said, "If we had stayed back in time, we would have been dealing with World War I right now."

"I'm thankful every day that we're not there right now," she whispered. "Because then you would have been. . . ."

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well-"

"I know this war is difficult. How we as humans are so divided we cannot come together to stop a common enemy to save an entire planet. But I'm glad we never stayed back in time. World War I was almost the same, minus the impending alien attacks, fighting and killing each other for no real reason. If we had stayed back in time you. . …and I cannot bear the thought of you. . . .."

"Sam," he broke off her sobs with a kiss. "Sam, for that very same thought I have decided something. I know our work as detectives is important, but there are so many new recruits I'm not really needed here. We'll always wonder what might have happened back in time. We'll always wonder now if I don't." He disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving Samantha alone to hope this war was just a really bad nightmare.

What he should have added yet neglected to, "I'm shipping out with the other soldiers tomorrow morning at dawn."

Felicity Merriman was most definitely not M.I.A. She was on the moon trying to negotiate with the aliens, not to end the war per say but to at least come to a congressional meeting in Washington D.C. to talk to some humans about why they were fighting. A week ago Felicity stowed away on an alien raider's rocket and then snuck into the alien palace behind her adopted sister Martha's back. The aliens were sick and tired of obeying Martha's every command. They didn't care for earth and had no desire to inhabit that garbage dump of the solar system. Many alien groups under Martha were leaning towards rebellion. Felicity believed if she could get the aliens to rebel against Martha then they would be too focused on their own civil war to attack earth. She also thought if she could get the aliens talking with the humans then both sides would see how ridiculous this war really was.

All of this coming from a girl who just last month tried to marry her best friend off to an alien prince in hopes that a marriage alliance between earth and the moon would put an end to the fighting. Alas, it did not stop the war and now Elizabeth Cole had an alien husband for nothing. The marriage was void on earth of course, but on the moon Elizabeth was technically married. Felicity could sense divorce looming in the unhappy couple's future and Elizabeth could sense years of pay back for this in Felicity's future.

Bitty Baby Fatterson frowned hard at a piece of paper sticking out from under her cradle. Samantha had ordered Bitty to clear all the junk out of her bed so she could maybe sleep in it instead of curling up in Samantha's bed or crashing on the floor. So Bitty proceeded to take the mess residing in her bed and stuff it underneath. Except everything didn't quite fit as nicely as she had hoped and now her bed was levitating several inches above the ground. "Do you think Samantha will notice?" she asked her best friend Bitty Q.

"She better not!" Bitty Q. was perched at the edge of her bed which was several feet in the air. "Think she'll notice?"

Samantha stormed into the playroom. "Where is Eddie?"

"How should I know?" said Bitty Q. "You're the one who hogs him."

Samantha ignored her comment. "I looked at 742 Castle Street. I contacted the agency and even checked one of those alien space ships that kidnaps civilians to hold as prisoners of war. I've been by the orphanage and asked Nellie-"

"Did you call his butler at Castle Street?" asked Bitty F. Every time someone from the playroom calls Eddie's mansion the annoying butler always answers the phone.

"Good idea!" said Samantha reaching for the phone. "Yes? Hello? Castle Street? Have you seen Eddie Ryland? I am looking for a Mr. Edward Ryland. Oh, I see. Yes sir. Goodbye."

Bitty Q. jumped as Samantha slammed the phone back on the hook. "Judging by the look on your face Eddie is in big trouble, isn't he?"

"He's about to be," said Samantha with dragon magic flaring in her eyes.

"EDWARD TROY RYLAND!" boomed a great and terrible voice in the distance. He cringed imagining the rest of the rage that was sure to follow. "You had better kiss me this instant and prove to me that you're still alive or so help me I'll-"

Eddie Ryland didn't waste a moment. He ran to her and lifted her up in his arms spinning her around. Her skirt flared out, but neither one noticed as they only had eyes for each other. He brought her in for a graceful landing and did as she commanded by kissing her soundly. They were both starry eyed and breathless until she promptly started hitting him with her handbag. "Don't you ever-"

"Oww!"

"Scare me like that-"

"Ouch!"

"Again!"

"Ow," he whined. "Would you please stop doing that?"

"Oh honey, if you think that hurt then you just wait until a real bullet hits you. Promise me you'll never do that again!"

Despite the pain of injured pride, Eddie grinned. "If it will spark this type of reaction then I'll run off to war every day."

"Don't even joke about that. You could have been hurt or worse."

He was touched by her concern for him, hoping it meant she would say what he was waiting to hear and what everyone else in the playroom wished she would hurry up and say already.

Her phone rang. "Sorry, I have to take this."

He nodded.

"Nellie? Yes, I found Eddie."

"Oh, Samantha! We've having a big problem here. Where are you anyway? Never mind, we've got more important fish to fry. Felicity just got back from space."

"Space! What was she doing up there?"

"Having a nice relaxing vacation on Pluto! No, where do you think she was? The moon! Apparently she talked the alien government into meeting with our government-"

"You can't be serious?!"

"Oh, but it gets worse. There is a big congressional meeting this afternoon in Washington D.C. Bitty and Bitty are convinced their musical is the reason this whole war started-"

"I'm sure the musical didn't help any."

"Yeah, but they're babies. It's not-"

"Nellie, cut to the chase. What are they up to?"

"Well, since they feel so guilty about the war being all their fault they are going to crash the government meeting to explain and apologize to the aliens for-"

"Oh, no! we can't let that happen. Hang on Nellie, we're coming to Washington D.C." She hung up on Nellie and turned to Eddie Ryland. "Come on, Eddie, let's go."

"I can't just leave!"

"Oh, yes you will. By the time we're done with congress the war will have either ended peacefully or the whole planet of earth knocked out of existence."

"Welcome to my planet! And thank you all for coming in peace today." Felicity paused as the alien translator standing beside her on the platform struggled to keep up. "My name is-"

"Stop!" a loud director's voice intruded.

"Yeah, what she said!" added Bitty F.

"We know why you hate us," Bitty Q. said sadly. "And we are very sorry."

Puzzled, the aliens looked at each other in confusion.

"Bitty!" Felicity hissed from the side. "What do you think you're doing?"

Bitty Quansa ignored her and stared dramatically into the crowd of alien officials and human politicians. "I know why you attack earth. Earth is filled with horrible human beings who have no respect for the culture of other planets. They mock you in their musicals, laughing at you in mockery instead of with you in friendship. They hate the idea of you so they portrayed you as stinky, squishy and disgusting freaks that are not capable of love and emotion."

"Bitty Baby what are you doing?!" Felicity squealed as the body guard Parker restrained her. Truth be told, the aliens had forgotten all about that offensive yet hilarious musical. Now that Bitty so kindly reminded them the rage was like fire to be exploded

"But not all humans are bad," Bitty F. was quick to add. "Actually, most of them are good little monsters that love and cherish their alien neighbors. However the person who wrote that musical-"

"You!" grunted the aliens struggling to make the human word come out.

"Oh, no," said Bitty Quansa. "It was NOT my friend Bitty Baby and me who wrote it. It was Martha Keabl. She wrote the script and then framed it on us because she knew you would hate it and that if you knew she wrote it then she would never have been able to conquer you."

"That's right," said Bitty F. "Martha Keabl conquered you the proud and noble alien race so she could enslave you to do your bidding. It's not all humans you have problems with. It's just her."

"Martha," growled the aliens.

Just then, Gwen and Logan came charging into the center of the stadium. "Nobody move!" shouted Gwen.

"That's right!" Logan agreed. "Nobody move because if you do then I'll press this button!" She held up a gray remote with a giant red button on it. "For the past several months my friend Gwen and I have been tunneling on the moon to set up the universe's biggest explosive ever built. This button with activate the bomb at the center of the moon blowing up the moon and destroying everyone there and everyone on earth. If we cannot reach some sort of peace agreement today then I am going to put us all out of our misery by-"

"Wait!" cried Samantha Parkington running breathlessly with Eddie Ryland by her side. "We have something to say!" Samantha had completely missed what was happening here but she figured a distraction from whatever nonsense her adopted family was spewing at the aliens would be a wise diversion.

"My partner and I are detectives," said Eddie. "And we-"

"Do you mind?!" shouted Logan. "I'm kinda in the middle of something here?"

"Oh, put a sock in it Logan," said the newly arrived Nellie. "Let's hear what they have to say."

"Thank you Nellie," said Samantha. "As I was saying-"

Eddie cleared his throat. "As _we _were saying we are detectives and as detectives one of our cases was to discover a traitor in congress. While we have you all gathered here-"

"The traitor is none other than John Jacob Jingle Himer Smith, our president!" Samantha interrupted.

Gasps of horror filled the room. "No, it can't be!"

"Not John!"

"He's been our president for almost two centuries!" In PFV, the presidential office is for 400 years instead of 4.

Mr. President exclaimed, "But I'm innocent!"

There was a commotion by the rear exit as Parker wrestled an escaping congressman to the ground. He was the senator from Alaska. "Oh, alright! You caught me! I'm the traitor! Not the president." He was hauled off to jail.

Samantha blinked. "Well, I was really not expecting that." Samantha knew the president was innocent. This accusation was just a rouse to divert the alien's wrath on her family.

Suddenly, the aliens began to chant their national anthem. Then they formed a huddle and talked softly in alien language for a few minutes. Things were increasingly tense on the human side and Samantha wished they would hurry up. Finally, the alien mob broke away from each other and one brave little alien stepped forward speaking perfect human English, "My brothers and I have come to a decision. The war is over. We call a truce. Please do not push the red button. We have found Martha Keabl guilty of writing mean musicals and taking over our planet. We will deal with her accordingly when we return home. We would like to work with that young lady over there-" the alien used all six hands to point to Felicity "-to work with us on behalf of the humans on the terms of a treaty to end World War III. Thank you. We come in peace."

"Aw, man!" cried Logan. "But I wanted to work on the treaty!"

"Then you should not have spent the last 3 months implanting explosives on the moon," Felicity said smugly taking the lead alien's arm. They entered a private conference room and got to work. Congress was dismissed in triumph. World War III was over!

Fortunately, Samantha Parkington and Eddie Ryland were able to steal a quiet moment to themselves before having to deal with the aftermath trauma of war.

"Wow," Samantha shook her head. "Felicity is actually going to

Eddie pulled her close. "Samantha?" he murmured.

"Uh-huh?"

"Can you not talk about your family for thirty seconds? I want to enjoy this moment forever."

"We survived."

"I know."

"I never want to go to war with aliens or humans ever again."

"Neither do I." His voice grew soft and tender as he thought of all the dangers they both could have so easily lost each other to. "I love you, Sam. Don't you see?" He tilted her head back so that her eyes sparkled up at him.

"I love you, Samantha Parkington," Eddie Ryland said again his voice growing in strength. "And I want to be with you. I don't care if we are teasing ten year olds, sleuthing sixteen year olds, or dying eighty year olds for that to happen. I just want to be with you," he added in a calmer tone that melted Samantha's heart. "And that's all I've ever wanted since the moment I first laid eyes on you in 1904."

She swallowed hard, wishing that she could be anyone or anywhere else than right here in this moment listening to her old rival proclaim his undying love for her. Then Eddie brought his lips down to meet hers in the fiercest, most intense kiss either had ever shared. Ashamed she may be, Samantha couldn't help melting like butter in his embrace. Until finally, Samantha threw her arms around his neck and whispered those long awaited words, "I love you, Eddie Ryland."

He murmured low and lightly teasing in her ear, "It took you long enough, Sam." The road to happily ever after was being paved, whether Samantha liked to admit it or not.

Family Vacation January 2015

Mount McKinley Alaska

"Let It Go" Samantha style

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight not a footprint to be seen

A crazy house of whack-os and it looks like I'm their queen

The wind is howling like this churning storm inside

Never let him in

Heaven knows I tried. . . .

Don't let him in

Don't let him see

Be the proper girl you always have to be

Conceal, don't feel

Don't let him know. . . .

Well, now he knows

Let it go! Let it go!

Tell him the truth of my core

I don't care what he's going to say

Let our love rage on

He's never really bothered me anyway

It's funny how some time travel

Makes everything seem small

The life that once controlled me

Can't get to me at all

It's time to see what we can do to solve this case and break through

No villain, no obstacle no challenge too great for us

We're free!

Let it go! Let it go!

I am one with this guy

Let it go! Let it go!

You'll never see me cry

Here I'll stand and here I'll stay

Let our love rage on. . . .

My disgust flees through the air and into the ground

Love is spiraling in frozen fractals all around

And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast

I'm never going back the past is in the past!

Let it go! Let it go!

And we'll rise like the break of dawn

Let it go! Let it go!

Grandmary's girl is gone!

Here I stand in the light of day

Let our love rage on

He's never really bothered me anyway

Paid

Parkington

Ice Fishing Hut Alaska

PFV Winter 2015

Nellie O'Malley

Somewhere in Japan

PFV Winter 2015

Dear Nellie,

Well, I finally did it. Now that World War III is over I feel like I can actually relax and enjoy this vacation. Ha! Vacations with our family are far from your typical family pleasure cruise.

Bitty Fatterson called Bitty Quansa to tell her about the best idea for a new musical. Camp Werewolf. An average summer camp where a teen girl falls in love with a werewolf. They're really excited about it. No word on cast yet but I'll let you know if I hear anything. Big Dolly is pining away for Parker. Since Bitty Q is not here Big D has to listen to Bitty F. jabber on as she writes the script for the latest musical.

We've seen so many werewolves on this vacation, what with the strange hunting going on. Have you heard the news? 152 girls in the U.S. have gone missing due to werewolf attacks this winter. I know Molly is a werewolf, but she's a good one. If a werewolf takes their shots like they're supposed to they can live without attacking humans. These rabid werewolves we're seeing mean certain death. Did you know werewolves only eat young girls? A red cloak and proper hunting tools are the only way to protect yourself. Gwen and Felicity are teaching me more about what weapons to use against werewolves than I ever wanted to know. Yesterday we were almost attacked by a whole pack. Felicity saved our lives, I must give her credit for that.

Martha is still MIA. I don't know whether to be pleased I don't have to deal with her or scared of how she's going to try to take over the world next.

Gwen is still recovering from wrestling a grizzly bear this morning. I can hear her whining about it as I write this. She was werewolf hunting with Felicity and what she thought was an enemy werewolf was actually a hibernating bear. Werewolf weapons don't work on bears and so an annoyed, grumpy grizzly had fun beating up on Gwen.

Felicity is convinced Martha's lair is in Mount McKinley and is determined to blow up the whole mountain to find her. She's insisting Martha is recruiting werewolves next and the werewolf palace in McKinley is a great place for it. Paranoid much? Felicity has also become an expert werewolf hunter and won't rest until she rids the world of all those wretched creatures. Werewolves are people too! Tell Molly to send more anti-wolf potion.

The pirate ship showed up in the harbor today. Marie-Grace is gone, I suspect the pirate kidnapped her. He didn't want her to risk her being so close and surrounded by werewolves all the time so he must have taken her on his ship. Werewolves are deathly afraid of water. They can swim okayish but idea that they would attack a boat in the middle of the ocean is impossible. I'm torn between marching down to his ship and demanding she come back on this vacation with us and just letting her go with him because it's one less person I'm responsible for, One less person I'm worried will be eaten by a werewolf. .

I'm very worried about Emily. She's hiding something. She keeps disappearing in the woods at odd times.

And as for me, well. . .

I finally broke down and melted like a snowman in July in Eddie Ryland's arms and told him I love him. Things will sure be different around here. We'll never stop teasing and arguing because that's who we are only now it has a much sweeter taste. There's nothing like a world war against the aliens to make one realize what's right in front of them and how easily I could have lost him. Nellie, what made me at long last tell Eddie I love him is the thought of how easily I could have lost him in that war. If we had stayed back in time we would have been fighting in World War One instead of World War Three. I'm grateful we put an end to that and I'm grateful if nothing else came of the war the at least Eddie and I are happily admitting our love for each other.

So yes, Eddie and I are officially together now. And our next official case as detectives together is this werewolf problem. He's staying at the fishing hut across the street from us and in my spare time we're working on cracking this case. Why are these werewolves suddenly attacking? Is Felicity right and is it Martha behind it? On a more personal level, what about Emily? I have the awful suspicion she's sneaking out to see a werewolf.

Does Molly know what's going on with Emily? Geovanni showed up in town today. He's frantically looking for Smith. He found Smith's room covered in dark brown fur, blood on the walls and all of his clothes ripped. The old man is terribly worried about Smith. He's like a son to him. So of course, now Felicity is involved and determined to hunt down the werewolf who ate Smith.

I love Eddie Ryland and I'm not afraid to shout it to the whole world! Our relationship is so much nicer now. I'm a fool for not realizing it before. Hope you liked my song. It better not end up in one of Bitty's musicals. How is you vacation going?

Love your best friend

Samantha Parkington

A year passed in utter bliss. It was the best year of Samantha's life so far, filled with playroom chaos and love from her partner in crime Eddie Ryland. There were many grand adventures in this period of peace and prosperity. Stories you dear reader may read all about in good time. Samantha still kept charge of all her adopted siblings with her best friend Nellie O'Malley, but now Eddie was there too. Eddie to exchange flirty banter with, Eddie to fight crime and solve mysterious with, Eddie to wrap his strong arms around her, lead and guide and help her in the care of her family. At first, Samantha resented how her sisters would sometimes turn to Eddie for comfort and advice instead of her. Gradually, Samantha became accustomed to his support and welcomed it whole heartily. He was the essential male person in their lives that the girls had lacked for so long. Poor Parker had been surrounded by females for his entire life so far and needed a male figure he could look up to. Of course, there was always the French pirate but being a pirate there was a certain mistrustful wariness of him. The pirate was still very much a part of the fabric that made up the playroom yet he didn't quite steal into their hearts the way Eddie did.

Samantha, who hates change, felt life like this should go on forever. She lived and breathed the playroom. Now she had the added bonus of the wondrous romantic love with Eddie. Samantha's only worry, however, lay with Nellie. She feared part of Madame Dolly's prediction would come to pass for there was a certain drifting, a closeness being lost in their friendship. Nellie didn't have a steady boyfriend like Samantha did. Indeed, she just suffered through another painful break up and had no desire to try again. She wanted a prince like Samantha but believed it wasn't possible for her. Nellie wasn't as happy with her life in the playroom. Samantha was the one who bandaged mortal flesh wounds, gave motherly advice, doled out fair punishments, and tucked the girls in at night. Nellie was just along for the ride.

One day, Nellie mentioned this to Samantha after tea time at Castle Street with Eddie and his family. They were both changing their clothes behind screens in their closets. "So, when are you going to run off and marry Eddie and live happily ever after? The poor boy is helplessly in love with you and you won't give him what he wants because you're always chasing after us."

Samantha almost choked, but then laughed instead. "I don't know what you mean. I love Eddie, and someday we will be married. Someday far far away when we're both older. But not now. Now I'm needed here." She held up her blue dress in one hand and her red skirt in the other debating which one to wear.

"Oh, come on. You love Eddie. You guys are perfect together. You can't make him wait forever. The playroom will always be here. You're not really going to give that up to live here forever are you?" Nellie had shimmied out of her tea dress. Samantha could see it in a heap on the floor under the screen.

"No. . . ."

"And I'm not going to be here forever either."

"Nellie, don't talk like that, please." Samantha wearing nothing but her undergarments clutched the blue gown close against her chemise. "Where would you go? The playroom is your home!"

"Yes. I love everyone here, but Samantha, I'm not happy here."

Samantha felt like she had just been punched in the gut. "Not happy? But you've got all of us. We keep Felicity out of trouble and we sleuth out criminals at night and we-"

"Samantha," Nellie said gently. "Those are things you like to do. What do I do here? I'm not a detective like you. I don't have the prefect boyfriend. I don't take care of everyone like you do."

"But you're still needed here. I need you."

Nellie shook her head, frustrated Samantha couldn't understand. "No, you don't. I miss my family back in time-"

"We all do Nellie." Now Samantha was angry. "We all have a part of us that wishes to go back. But we can't. Once we find where we belong here then we can finally be happy with our lives here. I know it's hard finding what you're meant to do but if you just-"

"What if I'm supposed to go back in time?" Nellie said quietly. "What if my mission is back then and not now?"

Samantha didn't have an answer for that. They were interrupted by a brisk knock at the door. Eddie had arrived to escort them to the theater for the evening. Bitty was putting on another musical and for the first time Samantha was grateful, not bitter, that she wasn't in it. It meant the end of this discussion between Samantha and her best friend, but she knew it would come back to bite her in the butt later.

It seemed everyone in the playroom wanted to discuss the future. In Pretend Friend Ville, happily ever after is not so far out of reach. The normal real world rules do not apply and it is expected most people will find true love and live happily, or crazily, ever after forever. It is only a rare minority that don't taste the sweetness of a fairy tale ending. Just like in modern real world America it is expected most kids will go to college, in PFV is expected most kids will grow up to live happily ever after. For some, it may come later in life than others but it is still just as real. At this point in the lives of the playroom people, it was only common that their thoughts should be racing toward what the future in this magical realm of PFV would bring.

Nellie, being somewhat more practical than Samantha, knew their life together in the playroom as a family couldn't last forever. Nellie was aching for her former life in 1904, Emily longed for college, Marie-Grace was practically engaged to the pirate, the elves might want their princess back someday, and who knows what else the future might bring to each individual? What the rest of their stories would look like? Would 18 year old Samantha Parkington who already had her perfect dream job and prince charming really wait for each playroom kid to grow up and leave before settling into her own happily ever after with Eddie? Samantha could see growing old here without Eddie in the playroom. It tore her apart to think about. And where would everyone else end up? The majority didn't want change either. Felicity especially and the younger set were in the category of "I won't grow up! I won't! Never!" There were rumblings of worry over what the future had in store for the playroom. There was an awful lot of talk over who would be the first to be married, Marie-Grace or Samantha? There was a poll about it and the majority of bets were on Marie-Grace. There was even pressure on the pirate to propose! But Marie-Grace was only 16, both she and the pirate were not thinking of that at all. Samantha did everything she could to discourage this kind of gossip. Although Samantha tried to deny it, the playroom was chomping at the bit to know where the road to happily ever after would lead.

Meanwhile, Eddie Ryland was plotting something. Something big. Something thrilling and wonderful yet terrifying and dastardly horrible all at the same time. Eddie was two years older than Samantha, therefore two years wiser although they were both seemed older than they really were. He was smart about money and had just inherited a large fortune from some obscure relatives who had died suddenly back in 1904. He had a stable job as a detective and knew with absolute certainty that this was the dream job he was meant to do with the rest of his life. He bought himself a house and said good bye to his own adopted brothers. His family was definitely not as close as the playroom, but they still keep in touch. Finally, he has the girl he loves more than anyone else in his arms. He wished for more. He understood and loved her family like they were his own, yet he still wasn't part of this amazing family as much as he wanted to be. He wanted to come home to her after a long day and never have to leave for the night. He yearned for her to be his in every sense of the word, his friend, his childhood sweetheart, his beloved, his partner and his soon to be. . . .

What Eddie longed for, ached for with every ounce of his being more than anything else in the world was to make Samantha Parkington his wife. He was ready, and he believed she was too, to embark on their own adventurous quest through this mystery called life. He patted his breast pocket where he kept a precious velvet black box that held a pure diamond ring. He let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding and gulped nervously. Should he dare risk the ultimate rejection?

742 Castle Street Friday Evening August 2015

"Where are you taking me, Eddie?" giggled the blind folded Samantha. Amazing how the trust had formed. Just last year Samantha never would have allowed him to take her hand and lead her somewhere without her knowing what he had in store for them.

He tried to smile, but failed in the attempt. Was he ready to have his heart broken? Or would she say yes? He knew they were a little on the young side by today's standards. Back in time, however, they fell right in the average age range. He gently turned her to face a different direction. Samantha felt the sturdy sidewalk under her feet change to uneven bricks with patches of grass poking through. He stopped and said, "May I?"

Mutely she nodded, confused over what he was asking. Before she could protest Eddie scooped her up in his arms and mounted a set of stairs. She heard a door creak open, and with a flourish he set her down.

"Where. . . .?" she started to ask. He removed the blindfold. She gaped. "What are we doing here?"

Here was the old abandoned Castle Street mansion, built in 1902 it now laid in utter ruins. It was the same Castle Street palace where Samantha had met Eddie as her detective partner for the first time. Not realizing she would be paired with him of all people she had given him quite a roller coaster ride in those first few weeks of their career together.

Eddie grinned sheepishly. "I bought the old place."

"Bought it?" Samantha squeaked.

He nodded. "Thought I might fix it up, make it into a real home. I have the funds to restore it to her former glory."

"W-why ever would you need a grand house like this?" Samantha regretted asking the moment the words left her mouth.

His lopsided grin caused her knees to shake and her heart to patter rapidly in her rib cage. "Miss Samantha Parkington."

"Yes?" she uttered softly. "That is my name."

He laughed nervously and then launched into his speech, his eyes meeting hers. He mistook her expression as one where she might actually say yes and allowed himself to hope. Indeed, she was desperately trying not to cry, but these were not the happy tears of a bride to be. _Oh, no. No. Eddie, NO! This can't be happening! Don't ruin. . . ._

"I have chased you every day since our first childhood encounter on Grandmary's lawn in 1904. I time traveled a hundred years to find you. I hunted you down in Australia, put up with every kick and every biting hissing sting of rejection you've thrown my way. I've quarreled and teased you until I thought my heart would burst. I put aside my pride and humiliated the both of us by being contestants on your sisters game show and stars in their musical Clones. I fought in World War III for you and have shared in all the triumphs and sorrows of our jobs as detectives protecting you from danger and listening to your every theory always encouraging your dreams, never once telling you not to sleuth it out. I never paused in my quest to pursue and win you despite the pain and frustration it sometimes brought me. But I wouldn't change a thing, as hard as the uncertainty of your angry words were for me to bear. The whole time I've only had my sights set on one thing. You. I love you, Sam. I want us to be bound together in true love for the rest of our lives, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in good times and in bad. Even if you say no to me now, I will never stop loving you. I love you Miss Samantha Parkington, angry fire breathing dragon that you are. And I want us to have the life together that we have both always dreamed of, a big house, your playroom family, careers worthwhile, maybe someday a big adopted family of our own, and making a difference in this world for the better. I love you Sam, I always have and I always will."

In one sweeping fluid motion, Eddie Ryland was down on one knee before her. He fumbled in his pocket for a moment. Samantha gasped and a hand flew over her mouth to cover her shock. "Eddie Ryland, don't. . . ."

"Will you marry me?"

Time stood still. For a long, long, moment Samantha left him there on his knee saying absolutely nothing, her thoughts whirling a million miles an hour. He continued to grin at her, his eyes sparkling in the fading twilight. She wanted to say yes, oh, how she really wanted to say yes and melt into his arms but one thought stopped her cold in her tracks. The playroom. Barely auditable, "No." She whimpered pathetically and it ripped her heart out like it destroyed his. "I'm sorry. But I can't marry you. Not now."

And then she ran. She was like a lightning bolt streaking across the sky, a little blur of color and then she was gone.

Eddie crumpled like a rag doll, feeling more pain than he'd ever felt in his young life. He wanted to chuck that ring into the sewer, but pocketed it instead realizing it might yet end up on her finger. All hope was not lost, not yet. He gave her a ten second head start before starting after her. He knew where she was headed and decided to cut her off by taking a secret shortcut only he knew about. Finally, she was in his line of sight. They reached Play Road and when he saw her leap into the playroom, he knew it was over. He couldn't follow her in there without the risk of alerting the whole family of his blunder. They probably were not in favor of the idea which is most likely why Samantha said no. Rationally, he knew this. Emotionally, he did not.

The door was open just a crack, enough for a slip of a girl like Samantha to scurry in unnoticed. He was about to come charging in after her when he suddenly saw a small brown head peek out. He frowned, realizing it was Gwen. What did she know this biggest blabber mouth of the whole family? Was Samantha even now crying in her arms? Gwen glanced in behind her at the silently sobbing Samantha and then at the distraught Eddie on their doorstep. She glanced back and forth a few times as if deciding something. Slowly, she put a finger to her lips as a signal to remain quiet and then shook her head ever so slightly.

Eddie got the message and left, not knowing if he would ever have the courage to return after this night's trauma.

Eddie's fears about Gwen mentioning something to the rest of the family were unfounded for Gwen, oddly enough, said not a word about it to anyone. Maybe it was mark of the immature girl growing up or maybe she just didn't want to antagonize Samantha and end up in the dog house more than she already was. Probably the latter. Either way, the nightmare of a proposal stayed as a tense secret between Samantha and Eddie. A whole month passed, a long time of agony for Eddie. Samantha tried to pretend like it never happened and go on as if life were normal. Well, Eddie couldn't blow it off and pretend so easily. It haunted him day and night. Samantha trying her hardest to forget it wasn't making life easy for anyone. She lashed out at her family, not that they noticed. To them, Samantha didn't seem to be acting out of the ordinary at all. If Nellie weren't distracted with her own life longings then maybe she would have caught on, but she didn't and Eddie was at a loss as far as what to do. He decided to play along and let Samantha weary herself by playing this game. He was a patient man, and a girl like Samantha was worth the wait. He had waited a hundred years before speaking to her the first time and he would wait a hundred more if he had to. There would never be anyone else for him, only his beloved darling Samantha Parkington. It was a month of jerky conversations, strained relations, and fewer visits from Eddie.

Until the playroom people did find out. Then all madness broke loose. It didn't happen until Marie-Grace and the pirate found themselves at the center of a cruel practical joke.

Marie-Grace and Glogan were the only kids home that day. Samantha was off wallowing in misery by serving up a particularly nasty punishment for Felicity who had used the clone machine 2000 to make a clone of herself so she could live in both Virginia 1775 and Play Road 2015 and not be homesick for either place. An ill-fated course of action that is against every time travel and cloning law that exists. Elizabeth was trying to appeal to Samantha's good side and bribe the government into letting Felicity go. Molly and Emily were touring colleges in England while Cecile visited James at his house on Blueberry Lane. Cecile was the only smart one in that she never invited her prince to the playroom she always went to him. The Bitty Babies were enjoying a celebrity autograph signing and promotional ads propaganda session in downtown Boston. They were designing the newest version of their famous French pirate plush doll to sell to a nationwide market of crazy fans. The toy says ten phrases if you pull the string. Bitty and Bitty still could not agree on good catch phrases for him to say. Madame Dolly and her henchman were conning innocent beach goers into having their fortunes told. Martha and Kelsey were hanging out in Martha's evil lair trying to come up with a new plan for world domination since World War III didn't work out the way they wanted.

"I'm going out!" Marie-Grace announced suddenly. She hurriedly threw some clothes and a lunch box in a bag, grabbing a wrapped present on the window sill on the way out.

"Where are you going?" Gwen called from the door. Marie-Grace was already more than halfway down the street.

"The pirate ship and then a wedding. I'll be gone a while don't expect me back anytime soon."

"Okay," said Gwen extremely hesitant on the word 'wedding.' "As long as you don't run away with him or anything."

A light bulb went off over Logan's head. "Ding, ding, ding! Gwen, I just got a great idea!"

To Whom It May Concern,

By the time you read this note it will be too late so don't try to stop us. I have kidnapped Marie-Grace this time I'm not letting her go. We love each other and are running away together to be married. Marie-Grace didn't want to go behind your backs but I convinced her this was the only way because you people would never give us your blessing. Please don't try to find us. Afterwards we will sail around the world on my ship pillaging everything we see. Know that we're in love and living happily ever after.

The French Pirate

Marie-Grace Gardner

Samantha and Nellie pored over the note, reading and rereading until their eyes became blurry. "Are those their signatures?" Nellie asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Samantha sighed. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't?"

"The fact that they would just run away together."

"Well," said Nellie thoughtfully stroking a cat. "They both knew how we disapprove of their age and think they're too young for this."

"Yeah, but I know for a fact the pirate didn't want to settle down yet. He says his ship is much too dangerous a place for Marie-Grace and doesn't want to risk harming a hair on her precious head. He hasn't got his life sorted out yet and neither does Marie-Grace. She mentioned PFV School a few times because she wants to learn more about magic, more than what she's just picked up by living here. They're definitely true loves but they want to wait a few years for that. Marriage is in their plans for the long term, but not the immediate. Plus, they both promised Bitty Fatterson and Bitty Quansa that they would have the 'wedding of the century' whatever that convoluted plan includes."

"How do you know?" asked Nellie.

"Eddie and I were interrogating-I mean having a nice peaceful conversation with them about it." Actually, Samantha thought Eddie scared the pirate silly by playing the role of the mean dad. Of course, the pirate appeared just as tough defending himself and Marie-Grace. He even pulled out his sword. Samantha could tell the pirate was awed into respecting Eddie for holding his ground and caring also about his treasured Marie-Grace's wellbeing.

"Maybe they changed their minds."

"Maybe," Samantha said doubtfully. "Come on, Nellie. We've got to go-"

"After them? Way ahead of you girlfriend. Which way to do you want to travel? Mail ourselves to them, magic carpet, or just appear in a puff of smoke on his ship?"

"We better do puff of smoke. I can't stand carpets they're much too windy and I'm having a spat with the mailman right now."

Nellie finally noticed something was wrong with Samantha because she wasn't enraging mad charging at the captain for threatening to take away her baby sister Marie-Grace. If anything, it seemed all the fight had gone out of Samantha like a deflating party balloon.

It was Nellie who did the heavy lifting here, scolding the pirate and ranting about how they are much too young to even think beyond next week never mind sneak off and get married behind everyone's back. Why did they think about how much they had hurt the rest of the family by doing this? The pirate tried to protest that the note was forged by Glogan, but Nellie in her tirade would not let him get a word in edgewise. Marie-Grace was horrified anyone would think so lowly of them for they never once thought of eloping. That idea was pure nasty rumor in the first place. In reality, the pirate and Marie-Grace attended Mime #52's wedding. The mime had finally found his true love, she also happened to be a mime, and they were destined to live happily ever after as they silently roamed the parks of Paris practicing their craft.

While Nellie let the rebellious teens have a piece of her mind, Samantha stayed strangely silent. The bags under her sleep deprived eyes grew darker with each word and she winced and blushed right along with Marie-Grace. At last, it was all sorted out. The pirate and Marie-Grace were found innocent and Glogan guilty of meddling.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?!" Nellie exclaimed on their way home.

"Who, me?" Samantha said tiredly.

"Yes, you! You didn't back me up at all! You miss bad cop did not go all mama bear with me like you promised! That's so unlike you! You never miss out on an opportunity to yell and boss people around!"

"I'm sorry, Nellie. I'm just dealing with something right now is all."

Nellie stopped walking. "Are you okay? What's bugging you?"

"Nothing," Samantha growled.

"Something. Tell me, come on Samantha. I'm your best friend you can honestly tell me anything no matter what."

It took a half hour of begging and pleading on Nellie's part before Samantha relented and blurted out, "Eddie proposed."

"WHAT?! How romantic! Congratulations! When's the big day?"

"No, didn't you hear me?"

"YES! Eddie actually proposed! I can't believe it! I'm so excited for you!"

"I said no."

Nellie froze. "You did WHAT?! Why on earth would you do that? Eddie is your true love-"

Samantha said one word and it was enough for Nellie to understand exactly why Samantha royally blew it with Eddie.

"Eddie loves you sooo much and you. . . .. I can't believe you! Where is he? Go to him right now and-"

"He proposed a month ago."

"A MONTH?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" Nellie's shock was evident in her voice.

"I can't go to him and say yes-"

"Oh, Samantha." Nellie drew her in for a hug. "You can. I mean, you do want to marry him, right?"

"More than anything," said Samantha her voice laced with misery. "I've never regretted anything so deeply. I wish I could go back and snatch up at moment from history and-"

"Then go to him. He'll know. Just fall into his arms and say one word. Although Felicity would say time travel will make it better."

This last comment earned a little giggle from Samantha. "Wait," added Nellie, "first we need to do your hair and get you decently dressed and-"

"Nellie, that's not necessary-"

"Oh, yes it is!"

As Nellie started fixing the rat's nest called her hair, Samantha began having doubts. "Should I really do this?"

"YES!"

"But how will the rest of them take it?"

"Samantha," Nellie put her hands on Samantha's shoulders and firmly looked her in the eye. She could still see the traces of tears. Poor girl had been tormented too long over what should have been the happiest moment of her life. "They love you. They want what's best for you though they may never say it. Yes, it will be a big change for all of us. But we'll get through as we always do, as a family. We're not losing you. We're just gaining a brother. Never forget that. I can handle what the playroom thinks and so can you. Yes, it is going to be hard to break it to them but Eddie will help. They may lash out and their reactions may not be ideal, but they'll get over it and hopefully come to be as deliriously happy as I am right now. You deserve this more than anyone. I'm just so happy for you! Wow, my beautiful friend is all grown up! You're really going to marry him! Oh, I'm just glowing thinking about how wonderful it will be to plan your wedding! The first step on the road to the perfect fairy tale beginning is to say yes to that proposal. Now, go!"

Samantha ran the whole way to Castle Street, feeling better than she had in a long time. Despite Nellie's work in gussying her up she arrived with wind swept hair and a muddy hem. She smiled a little and actually let herself be excited. If only he would still have her after the vicious way she had acted. Poor Eddie, she really didn't deserve him.

Eddie Ryland sat hunched up in the tallest tower of the crumbling 742 Castle Street Mansion singing a mournful, downer song the French Pirate sang at the end of Bitty Quansa's musical _Captured By French Pirates_ that summed up Eddie's life quite well at the moment.

I was the one who had it all  
I was the master of my fate  
I never needed anybody in my life  
I learned the truth too late  
I'll never shake away the pain  
I close my eyes but she's still there  
I let her steal into my melancholy heart  
It's more than I can bear  
Now I know she'll never leave me  
Even as she runs away  
She will still torment me  
Calm me, hurt me  
Move me, come what may  
Wasting in my lonely tower  
Waiting by an open door  
I'll fool myself, she'll walk right in  
And be with me for evermore  
I rage against the trials of love  
I curse the fading of the light  
Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach  
She's never out of sight  
Now I know she'll never leave me  
Even as she fades from view  
She will still inspire me  
Be a part of everything I do  
Wasting in my lonely tower  
Waiting by an open door  
I'll fool myself, she'll walk right in  
And as the long, long nights begin  
I'll think of all that might have been  
Waiting here for evermore

There was a light knock on the half unhinged door that had several bullet sized holes in it. Eddie lifted his gaze to behold the most beautiful creature to have ever walked the earth. "Sam," he breathed in awe. Suddenly, she was right where she belonged. In his arms.

"Oh, Eddie," murmured Samantha as she collapsed into him. She was shaking now, from a combination of nerves and the overwhelming need to say that one simple word, yes.

Nellie was right, Eddie instinctively knew exactly why she had come. "Say it Sam, I need to hear you say it."

"Oh, Eddie I-"

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, oh yes, a thousand times yes I will marry you."

Eddie looked at her intensely and she stared never before feeling as happy as she did in that moment. He gazed down into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity of bliss, one hand cupping her cheek and the other hand running through a loose lock of her hair. Eddie reached into his pocket, a question on his eyes. She nodded and he slipped the ring on her finger.

He picked her up, spun her around and set her down neatly before kissing her soundly.

"I love you," she said.

Another kiss and Eddie said, "I know."

"I don't say it often enough."

He kissed her cheek this time. "I know that too."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Samantha seemed near tears now. "For putting you through madness. You don't deserve this. For rejecting you time and time again when really. . . ."

"What?"

"When really I've been secretly certain, without a doubt, one hundred percent certain you are the one."

A lengthy, tension filled pause passed for Samantha but Eddie only smiled softly at her. "I knew. You didn't have to tell me for me to know but I am so glad you did."

"So am I."

"I don't mind being rejected just as long as you're mine at the end of the day. It makes the triumph of winning the struggle that much sweeter."

Samantha, almost, but didn't, smack him. "In that case. . ."

Before she could threaten to reject him again Eddie said, "You do realize that you'll have to become my wife."

She grimaced. "I know."

"We'll be stuck with each other always and forever," he warned, "For better and for worse. For sweet moments and crazy ones."

"Unfortunately yes. I won't be able to escape your evil clutches."

"Come on, I'm not that bad."

"Yes, yes, yes you are," said Samantha. "Who is going to tell my family?"

He winced. "Oh, yeah, them. Well, you are-"

She opened her mouth to protest, and he quickly added, "But I will be right there by your side."

She nodded gratefully, and he held her close neither one speaking for a while. "Mrs. Samantha Ryland," he said thoughtfully. "I like the sound of that."

This time she did smack him playfully. "I don't."

"You'll get used to it."

"I won't."

He laughed lightly as they walked together down the rickety, disintegrating stairs. "You will."

"Won't."

"Yes," said Eddie.

"No," replied Samantha.

And their arguing continued like clockwork, both not really meaning it, but continuing the game just the same.

Samantha and Eddie arrived at the playroom to behold a chaotic, frantic scene. Bitty F. was curled up on the floor rocking back and forth her eyes flooded with tears. Felicity was punching a wall while Elizabeth stared at the ground unmoving, making no effort to stop Felicity's violent destruction. Molly and Emily were hugging with tears streaking their cheeks. Logan was yelling, Parker was hiding under the bench cowering, and Gwen cried bitterly as she collapsed into her pillow. "What on earth is going on in here?" Samantha demanded to know.

"Nellie is gone!" wailed Bitty Q.

"And she's never coming home!" Bitty F. blubbered.

A cold icy hand wrapped itself around Samantha's heart. "What?"

"Her stuff is gone," sniffled Gwen. "Her bed and her case and. . . ." People in the playroom run away all the time, but they always come back. Unless of course one has taken their belongings with them. If you leave your bed behind then there's a good chance you'll be home soon. If your furniture is gone then no one knows when or if you'll ever come home.

Big D. cried, "I want her floor space!"

"No," Logan argued. "I called it first!"

"Who lives on a shelf here?" questioned Bitty Q.

"I need the space more than you do," said Molly pulling out a measuring tape.

"Guys!" Felicity shouted over the noise. "Nellie ran away and is never coming back and all you care about is who gets her space?! Unbelievable! You have no loyalty to this family!"

There was a polite cough and a knock on the open door. "Mail here for Samantha Parkington!"

All noise ceased. Eddie grabbed the letter from the mailman and ushered him out quietly closing the door behind him. He almost didn't give it to Samantha, but thinking better of it he handed it to her. All eyes focused on Samantha as she tore open the envelope. All eyes were drawn to the sparkling ring on her finger. There were gasps of horror at the sight of it. There was an uproar of accusations and threats. Bitty Q. stared moodily out the window as Bitty F. cried, "Nellie left us and now Samantha is too!"

Samantha's face grew quite pale as she read Nellie's missive. She prided herself on being one of those strong women who didn't pass out every time something upsetting occurred. First time in her life she fainted dead away landing softly in Eddie's arms. It seemed Madame Dolly's prediction was coming true.

To be continued. . ..

101


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